Publications by authors named "Robert D Danby"
NKG2D is a natural killer cell activating receptor recognising ligands on infected or tumorigenic cells, leading to their cytolysis. There are eight known genes encoding NKG2D ligands: MICA, MICB and ULBP1-6. MICA and MICB are highly polymorphic and well characterised, whilst ULBP ligands are less polymorphic and the functional implication of their diversity is not well understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: NKG2D is an activating receptor expressed by natural killer (NK) and CD8+ T cells and activation intensity varies by NKG2D expression level or nature of its ligand. An NKG2D gene polymorphism determines high (HNK1) or low (LNK1) expression. MICA is the most polymorphic NKG2D ligand and stronger effector cell activation associates with methionine rather than valine at residue 129.
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- Allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a vital treatment for severe blood disorders but poses high risks; better matching strategies, especially regarding Tregs in grafts, are needed for improved outcomes.
- A study was conducted to compare flow cytometry and epigenetic, DNA-based methods for measuring Treg content in cryopreserved umbilical cord blood (CB) units, assessing their agreement and reliability.
- Results showed that epigenetic methods consistently provided accurate measurements in both fresh and frozen samples, while flow cytometry was limited to fresh samples due to cell death after freezing; this makes epigenetic analysis a superior approach in evaluating cryopreserved CB.
Article Synopsis
- Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are crucial for immune tolerance, acting as powerful suppressors of inflammation and affecting various immune cell functions.
- Treg therapy shows promise in modulating immune responses and could potentially replace traditional immunosuppressive drugs, although further research is needed to understand their characteristics and improve treatment methods.
- The review emphasizes the challenges in isolating and producing Tregs, while identifying suitable applications for this innovative therapy.
Article Synopsis
- Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients face higher risks of complications like acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), often linked to low levels of regulatory T cells (Tregs).
- A systematic review of 14 studies found that higher Treg levels in HSCT grafts are associated with better overall survival, reduced non-relapse mortality, and lower risks of acute GVHD.
- These findings emphasize the importance of Treg composition in improving HSCT outcomes, highlighting the need for better donor and allograft selection in future practices.